Richard Gurtler is right, this is not your recent style Steve Roach- I'm finding it more like late 90's, early 2000's a la Magnificent Void/Early Man/ Well of Souls vein.

My first impression while listening to headphones was it was a bit scary (my dark ambient days are mostly over). But after listening to it in the living room I'm digging it. In fact, after headphoning World's Edge disc 2 after the recent discussion here I'm wondering if it's in fact that some music is better suited for the big speakers over headphones.

I think Steve Roach's music is such an example. When I'm listening to it with earbuds, it's like I'm getting thrown through the void. They just weren't as dimensional. Those sounds actually work better "taking a step back from them", bouncing off of walls, in a more cavernous space rather than bouncing around inside your head (because my head, you know, not to be all full of it but it's not that cavernous )

While a lot of music is better or really unique experience on the headphones, Roach's style is almost always big and broad. I don't know, could have just been the different times and moods I was in, but either way The Long Night is a nice listen.

Tom Heasley- On The Sensations of Tone I gave this one a good head phoning last night, gotta say I love it, and probably haven't given it the attention it could have received. A few years back there was a "dream collaborations" topic on this forum, and I think I put Heasley with Oophoi- to me these two were kindered spirits, and it would have been terrific- Heasley's stuff is DEEP. And the processed tuba sounds give it a nice, unconventional sound by ambient standards. It's not terrifyingly dark, nor is it ethereal or pretty. It's a mesmerizing sound and as good as the deepest Oophoi material.

Feeling like a broken record mentioning this here in the past but I also like going back to Steve Roach's World's Edge, actually just Disc 2. It's an exactly 60 minute one track wonder of Steve's career. Someone actually gave me World's Edge for my high school graduation back in '92! Still holding its own after so long, I forget about this one having so much music now on my itunes and computer, but I still give it a good listen when in the mood.

Also just occasionally going back to the good stuff from the early and mid 90's... hearts of space fathom, Suspended Memories, anything by Tuu, Kenneth Newby, etc. all are ones that I marvel at from a different but equally amazed perspective when listening again, after a long break.

Aglaia - HymnsThis is a pretty cool release, but out of sync with the typical Aglaia vibe. Throughout each track there is a highly processed voice submerged in the mix. I can't understand what it is saying (if it is saying anything in particular), but it has a spooky, robotic quality to it. That voice, combined with the more typical Aglaia synth work, gives this album a really unique sound--something that is both alien and yet strangely familiar. I imagine this is what hymns may sound like if they were performed by humanoid insects on another planet.

Strange that you should mention that; I've been breeding humanoid insects from other planets as a hobby, and strangely, they DO have an affinity for singing hymns. The damn things are keeping us awake at night! I have to throw cold water on them to quiet 'em down ...but seriously, I love that description, will have to look that up.

This prompted me to check out Aglaia'sHymns, actually it was a debate which to buy now, that or Alio Die's Amidst the Circling Spires, the samples of which also sound great. Something about humanoid insects though just spoke to me....

Through a first listen I'd say the voices also remind me of what would happen if the Cylons from Battlestar Galactica were somehow reprogrammed to be peaceful and they all joined a hippy love cult- and I mean that in the best way possible.

Symatic Star and Jack Hertz- Shambhala. Big themes a la David Parsons throughout, with types of chanting that are rarely woven into ambient. Also a lot of mellowness in between with plenty of room to breathe. From Aural Films netlabel, looks very promising! A few people I've seen here on the forum have releases there (Shane Morris, Mystified) and it's all name your own price- will definitely revisit.

Just to add to something because that commentary was overly harsh on Elysium: The first half of the movie is really solid, and I was completely hooked. The special effects are top-notch. That moment where Matt Damon blows away the first robocop into a million bits is incredible. I wish the second half, which was the action-half, had more of that. Instead, enter Kruger and his mercenary buddies, and the android cops are barely even seen again.

They could have kept the Kruger character completely out, and let this movie be about Jodie Foster as the evil secretary, the corporate boss on earth for his relatively short stint, and the army of robocops. That would have given the movie the colder, more artificial contrast of machines & soulless assholes who keep the pristine Elysium running.

I liked Oblivion. It didn't feel right seeing Tom Cruise as a techie repairman type guy, so the twist where he was once the leader of the human resistance made more sense, both for him as an actor and the story. Probably the sci-fi and hollywood community will give the clone-thing a rest for before it gets too played out. (Moon, Never Let me Go, Obvlivion)

If you liked Moon, have you seen Duncan Jones's (son of David Bowie) other movie, Source Code? That is fantastic! Neat quantum physics-type twist to the end... see that kind of ending to me is what helps make a film unforgettable.

Speaking of unforgettable, District 9 was such to me... which is why the sophomore effort Elysium by that director was a let down- it's watchable but I had higher expectations. With Elysium, Matt Damon and Jodie Foster were capable, and I like Sharlto Copley but I thought he played the bad guy way over the top, along with the Mexican arms/immigrant smuggler- their characters were kind of a distraction. The look was there, but the story seemed to lack the soul that District 9 had. I think Drone On and I have already had this discussion and you didn't like District 9? If you liked Elysium, to me District 9 was a lot more exciting with more complexity to the main character and the story.

The one I've been listening to could really use a marketing makeover, get a load of this: "5 Hours of Tibetan and Oriental Music" and that font! It's like something from one of those cheesy 70's kung fu flicks

Nevertheless, this music truly is relaxing, it is reminiscent of Aglaia, and at times I was reminded of other Italian ambient artists like Busso de La Lune. Honestly, not really a weak track on here, it's all solid- and as the album title spells it out for you, it is 5 hours! This is excellent music for meditating, reading, massage, etc... I'm lovin' this hidden door of wonders so far.

Pretty neat huh? This is one example of music released under their names. What I did was while in Amazon.com, I noticed some of their albums were not released on Hic Sunt Leones but rather "The Italian Way" label, so I did an 'advanced search' to see what else the label had to offer and their names turned up, so here is what all they have at least on amazon:

So, from my brief research I believe the 2 artists in the title of this post are Aglaia, a duo. If so I didn't know Aglaia was in fact 2 artists, and more interestingly to me, these two have a crapload more albums not under the name Aglaia but simply under their own names. I don't know if this comes as a surprise to most here on the forum- I've read about Aglaia's music many times here and have bought about 3-4 recordings, without ever hearing of the many other releases where they simply go by their real names.

Anyway it sounds like this "other" music sounds exactly in the same field of play. Very generic album titles but the same floaty Aglaia vibe we've come accustomed to. I just bought this album which is a ton of music, and look forward to unpacking later... if you don't know now ya know. They've come up with a great sound and though it may sound occasionally recycled, it's a really relaxing, enjoyable style of endless drifting and floating:

It is that a new album, or is that Hilllage's and Evan Marc's "Dreamtime Submersible", that was actually from 2008? Just curious because if it's something new I'd love a sequel or any new material- the album I'm thinking of is excellent.

New Age as a scene seems pretty strong in the Yoga and Massage/Spa industry. If there is at all still a "scene", that is one of the strongest contributors.

Many musicians tend to get more minimal and "ambient" in their sound with each successive release. Patrick O'hearn is such an example. The latest albums by Bluetech and Carbon Based Lifeforms are what I would call strictly ambient when in the past their music was downtempo/dub and very rhythmic. Many other new age artists take their music to a more ambient vibe.

I can't think of too many who went in the opposite direction, from a more minimal sound to new age (or even to a more active, melodic sound)- maybe Craig Padilla of late (that sellout ). Is the general trend toward less and, while not enjoying the credit, do most roads eventually lead to ambient?

To link with another current topic, would some of Thom Brennan be considered drone? I've been listening to his one track work "Satori" and it is quite droney, though there are tones that rise and fall in a few second intervals, there's generally a underlying bed of drone underneath... that and Vibrant Water and Mist of his collection I would find fall under that category.

Thanks for the clarifications Loren. A lot of times you don't see any credit given. For example I'm enjoying this ambient download I found that weaves in Tibetan monk chanting extensively during the first track. David Parsons uses a lot of those deep, low growling chants in his work, but maybe they at least get permission if not full credit.

I hope they got credit, as I believe the monks were chanting something along the lines of "karma can be a bitch"...

I really like most of Alio Die's music, particularly any time he uses medieval choirs and renaissance instruments.

This is really out of my league so I ask the question here: some of that, if not all, is sampled right?

Most likely he didn't emply a group of choir singers, and he may play instruments but a lot of the medieval music sounds like it may have been a previous recording that has been slowed down, distorted and with layers of effects and processing meshed in.

To me this is actually a neat idea, that of "recycling" that kind of music and if that's what Alio Die is doing, he does it like no other. The artist Diatonis has an album called The Convolving Universe that is just processed gregorian monks and choirs I believe, and it's similarly cool....

I wonder how one deals with copywright issues with this? If you distort something beyond recognition (at least in parts) and add your own effects, does it become something new? This is something that went on for years in Rap music before artists finally started demanding royalties, so just curious about this topic...